The Claverings eBook

“Never mind,” said Archie. “He
is in such a taking, you know. God bless you,
old fellow—­good-by! I’ll write
and tell you what fish we get, and mind you tell me
what Turriper does for the Bedfordshire. Good-by,
Madam Gordeloup; good-by.”

There was no escape for him, so Doodles put on his
hat and prepared to walk away to Mount Street with
the Spy under his arm—­the Spy as to whose
avocations, over and beyond those of her diplomatic
profession, he had such strong suspicions! He
felt inclined to be angry with his friend, but the
circumstances of his parting hardly admitted of any
expression of anger.

“And we’ll make that all right for you
yet. Gentlemen, when they have so much to gain,
shouldn’t take a no too easy. You come with
your handy glove, and we’ll see about it again.”
Then Sophie walked off leaning upon the arm of Captain
Boodle, and Archie stood at the door watching them
till they turned out of sight round the corner of tire
Square. At last he saw them no more, and then
he returned to his brother.

And as we shall see Doodles no more—­or
almost no more-we will now bid him adieu civilly.
The pair were not ill-matched, though the lady perhaps
had some advantage in acuteness, given to her no doubt
by the experience of a longer life. Doodles,
as he walked along two sides of the square with the
fair burden on his arm, felt himself to be in some
sort proud of his position, though it was one from
which he would not have been sorry to escape, had
escape been possible. A remarkable phenomenon
was the Spy, and to have walked round Berkeley Square
with such a woman leaning on his arm might in coming
years be an event to remember with satisfaction.
In the mean time he did not say much to her, and did
not quite understand all that she said to him.
At last he came to the door which he well remembered,
and then he paused. He did not escape even then.
After a while the door was opened, and those who were
passing might have seen Captain Boodle, slowly and
with hesitating steps, enter the narrow passage before
the lady. Then Sophie followed, and closed the
door behind her. As far as this story goes, what
took place at that interview can not be known.
Let us bid farewell to Doodles, and wish him a happy
escape.

“How did you come to know that woman?”
said Hugh to his brother, as soon as Archie was in
the dining-room.

“She was a friend of Julia’s,” said
Archie.

“You haven’t given her money?” Hugh
asked.

“Oh dear, no,” said Archie.

Immediately after that they got into their cab, the
things were pitched on the top, and, in a while, we
may bid adieu to them also.